#77 The Infamous Spending Ban

So.. due to having a dreadful 2013 so far (it honestly gets worse every week) I have basically shopped and shopped until I have started to feel better.. and then I shopped some more. However my savings are now dwindling and with a new home on the horizon, I thought it was best that I started to get some money back in the bank. Therefore from today, I will be on a spending ban for the next month!

I honestly wish I could just cut down my spending but i’m either an all or nothing kinda girl. It would be nice if I could just buy one thing a week but I have no restraint. I am nervous, very nervous.. I have never done anything like this before. If I see something I like and I have the money in my bank, I buy it. But not anymore! I really want to prove to myself that I can do this, I work well with goals and for me, going on a spending ban is a big goal. The ban is stretching from March 11th to April 11th.

These are the rules for said March – April spending ban are as follows:

Toiletries for myself and Little Miss must be included within the weekly shop. Basics only! For myself this includes face wipes (I have enough scrubs, moisturiser & shampoo), toothpaste & nail varnish remover that I may need over the next month. For Little Miss this includes nappies, wipes, bubble bath, shampoo and lotion.

The ban does not include nursery fees or any other costs to do with Little Miss, however she needs no more clothes or toys for the foreseeable future.

The ban does not include gifts for others (my dads birthday falls within the ban and obviously I have to get him a gift).

£20 a week needs to be put aside for the #NottsBBmeet as I plan on doing some shopping then (it’s after the ban, luckily).

All extra money at the end of each week needs to be put into the savings account.

Any Easter/Birthday gifts of money/vouchers must be saved to be spent after the ban is over.

Of course this means that all my posts will be of things I own and I won’t be doing anything exciting apart from going to a Murder Mystery party later on this month (thankfully I have bought all the bits for my costume!) I will be breaking the rules only once (I hope, unless something really bad happens again obviously) to buy myself a dress/outfit for going out with the girls on the evening of the 13th. I’m going to try and do this a thriftly as possible and even might make it a challenge to get a whole outfit for £20.. who knows. As I said.. if something horrible happens again it’s going to be a struggle not to spend again! Fingers crossed I can stick to this, yeah?

And maybe if I do well this time, I might do another from May – June.. it could actually be quite exciting finding ways to save & make money over spending it! Who am I kidding.. it’s going to suck especially when it comes to online shopping!

I have a list of up coming posts that is as long as my arm so I’m not short of content for the next month. I have loads of products to review, a wardrobe of clothes, plenty of recipes, some events in my diary so I will be blogging as much as ever. Just no shopping.

Has anyone else gone on a spending ban? If so, for how long & how well did you do?

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Amy Marie. Twenty something, single mum of one little girl. Lives in a small town on the Scottish border but misses the city life. Loves reading, iced coffee, Disney, good food and autumn colours. A Fairy Tales addicted with an eclectic sense of style, who enjoys thrifting and cooking.